KIA offers full manual over-ride on 2019 Stinger

[Kia Stinger News]

ONE OF THE KEY criticisms with the Kia Stinger has been that the automatic transmission, when Sport mode is selected, will automatically upshift when it reaches redline. But, Kia Europe has confirmed that, following feedback from journalists, the MY19 Stinger will feature a recalibrated transmission allowing full manual control of the transmission by the driver via the flappy paddles when Sport mode is selected.

But, there's a but?at this stage, it looks like Australian Stinger buyers will miss out on this tweaked transmission, indeed, an email seen by Practical Motoring confirms the manual over-ride will be for Europe only. Practical Motoring did reach out to Kia Australia more than a month ago who referred our question to head office in Korea. We are still waiting to hear back.

Beyond the transmission, European buyers, and this is likely to trickle down to Australian cars too, will get a frameless 8.0-inch infotainment screen with a stainless-steel insert added to the cargo area. Kia UK is also looking at a new exhaust system like the cost-optional exhaust that's already available to Australian Stinger buyers.

 

[VegasStinger]

Hopefully they can do a software update for us in the States too.

 

[stinger1168]

Will this make it to the 2019 USA Stingers too? So far, if I understand the article correctly, I'm guessing no.

 

[Marc Collins]

Hopefully they can do a software update for us in the States too.

They better do the update for all existing Stingers. No excuse not to as it's just software.

 

[robz32]

Agreed

 

[Armoured]

If it's just a software update then why not?

 

[CKeeler]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the transmission already offers a full manual mode. Or is this only applicable to the electronic shifter?

 

[Crayola Grey]

I can confirm, my 2019 GT1 has the full manual mode when it's in Sport Mode. I forgot and took off and it STAYED in 1st all the way until the governor kicked in at redline. It didn't upshift like all the other cars when I do that. I was taken aback. I have the "cable-linked" regular shifter, not the e-tronic one. I prefer my shifter. It's definitely full-manual mode though. It was an accident because my car is hardly even broke-in yet, and I didn't mean to be so hard on it, so early in the game.

 

[MurlinatoR]

I can confirm, my 2019 GT1 has the full manual mode when it's in Sport Mode. I forgot and took off and it STAYED in 1st all the way until the governor kicked in at redline. It didn't upshift like all the other cars when I do that. I was taken aback. I have the "cable-linked" regular shifter, not the e-tronic one. I prefer my shifter. It's definitely full-manual mode though. It was an accident because my car is hardly even broke-in yet, and I didn't mean to be so hard on it, so early in the game.

Did you have the shifter in the manual mode or had you used the paddle shifter to put it into manual mode?

 

[tdoyon]

I thought I read somewhere (car and driver?) that the 2018 GT2 has a manual mode. The car has to be in sport mode with all the nannies off.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CARmello Yellow]

My 2018 GT without the electronic shifter moves over to the left and you have to shift it in launch mode or it hits the redline, at least out of 1st gear it does. You can either use the paddle shifters, or you can move the shifter forward for upshifts, and pull back for downshifts.

 

[BIGBIKES]

Australian cars had it always but no one let on because you need to turn off the traction control then it wont upshift..I've tried it and it works

 

[Marc Collins]

I thought I read somewhere (car and driver?) that the 2018 GT2 has a manual mode. The car has to be in sport mode with all the nannies off.

It has manual mode just by using the paddles in D. If you want it to stay in manual mode, you have to have transmission set to sport mode (either by using Sport or in Custom).

Further, turning the nannies off should also prevent red-line up-shifts.

Some people report that even when in Sport, the car will return to D when stopped. Mine does not, so there is undoubtedly multiple versions of the software out there.